LOCAL HISTORY: Tarring S. Davis, History of Blair County, Volume I, 1931, Blair County, PA - Chapter 10 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ html file: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/1picts/davis/tdavis1.htm _______________________________________________ A HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA UNDER EDITORIAL SUPERVISION OF TARRING S. DAVIS LUCILE SHENK, ASSOCIATE EDITOR HARRISBURG: NATIONAL HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, INC., 1931 VOLUME I CHAPTER X ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 128 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY THE average citizen of Pennsylvania is more familiar with the name Altoona, with all that it implies, than with any other community in Blair County. Yet, less than a century ago, Altoona was not even a vague dream. Everyone was interested in the canal and the Allegheny Portage Railroad, and the towns along the route such as Williamsburg and Hollidaysburg, were the centers of activity. Travelers marvelled at the Public Works then, but if they might have glimpsed into the future they would have been mystified. Less than twenty years after the state's internal improvements brought prosperity to the county the town of Altoona was laid out. The growth of this town from farm to town, and from town to a city with a population of more than 80,000, is one of the phenomena of the development of the United States, generally. In the development of Altoona is mirrored the development of the new world, America, as a tremendous force in the affairs of the world. Much controversy has arisen as to the origin of the name Altoona. Early authorities state that it is derived from the Latin, altus, or the French, alto, signifying altitude and height. But J. Simpson Africa, whose information on this subject was obtained from no less a source than Archibald Wright, of Philadelphia, who was instrumental in purchasing the farm of David Robison on which the first plots of the city were laid out, explains that Altoona is a Cherokee Indian word, allatoona, meaning "high lands of great worth." A. Howry Espenshade in his "Pennsylvania Place Names" is of the opinion that the foregoing explanation of the origin of "Altoona" is hard to understand. A study of the Cherokee language revealed the word "eladuni" meaning "high lands" or "where it is high," bearing little relation to the allatoona referred to by Mr. Wright. On the other hand, he offers the following explanation. A veteran engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad reported that Colonel Beverly Mayer, of Columbia, who was a civil engineer on the Central Pennsylvania Railway when the tracks were laid out on the main line before the first train passed over it, through the present Altoona, named the site of the future city after Altona, an important railway center in Schleswig-Holstein, then part of Denmark. These are the current opinions on the source of the name of our largest city. J. Simpson Africa in describing Altoona, included the following paragraph as an explanation of the choice of the site of Altoona for the railroad center of Pennsylvania. "The location of Altoona was determined by the topography of the ground in the survey of the route of the Pennsylvania road, the plan being to extend the low grade that prevailed along the Juniata Valley as far as possible up the mountain, and thus concentrate the heavy grade into a short distance to be overcome by extra propelling power. The civil engineers developed Altoona when they marked the spot where the low grade terminated. Eastward the ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 129 heaviest gradient does not exceed twenty-one feet per mile; westward it is increased to ninety-five feet per mile." That Altoona owes its origin and growth principally to the Pennsylvania Railroad is a fact that cannot be denied. In 1846, after the organization of the railroad the old Public Works of the state were purchased by the new concern. The general public was more sympathetic with private enterprise and ownership in such organizations, and their faith in the new undertaking was justified. The inefficiency of the transportation facilities under the old plan of state ownership, and the increased efficiency and the opportunities offered for all types of labor in the development of the railroad center at Altoona, all worked for good in the county. The location of Altoona at the head of the Logan Valley and on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, 236 miles from Philadelphia and 116 miles from Pittsburgh, could do little else but bring prosperity to the surrounding country. William Louden, David Robison, and Andrew Green all owned farms on the present site of Altoona, before 1849. In that year, Robison's farm of 220 acres, the central one of the three, was purchased by a man named Cadwallader for Archibald Wright of Philadelphia. The latter transferred the property to his son, John A. Wright. The property was laid out in town lots and sold by Clement Jaggard, who acted as agent for Wright. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company acquired 35 acres of the land from Wright and in a short time erected a depot, offices and shops upon it. When the farm was bought from Robison, his log house was the only building that stood there, and it remained as a landmark for nearly twenty years. William Loudon, who owned one of the other farms next to Robison, was located in the western part of the present city on property that covered 204 acres. When the Pennsylvania Railroad began to acquire holdings, Loudon proceeded to lay out and sell lots. Adlum & Irvin purchased the first of these and Augustus Cherry, the second. The section then became known as Loudonsville and the farm was divided bit by bit as the growth of the community demanded. When the city was incorporated Loudonsville fell within its limits. Green's farm, east of Eleventh Street, was known as Greensburg before the incorporation of the city. The first building, constructed after Wright's purchase in 1849, was of frame, near the railroad, and was put in use as an office for the engineers of the road. Enos M. Jones built one of the first houses on Eleventh Avenue, when he came from Huntingdon to serve the railroad. That no one in the community at the time of its inception expected the phenomenal growth that Altoona experienced is proved in the fact that the first water and gas pipes laid, were soon inadequate to serve the population. Africa refers to a statement made by Colonel Thomas Scott, in which the latter conceded that Altoona "might possibly become a village of six or seven thousand souls." The first streets laid out bore such names as Mary, Clara, Claudia, Caroline, Julia, Helen, Adeline, Harriet and Elizabeth. Tradition has it that the civil engineers of the railroad asked Mr. Wright whether he had chosen names for 130 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY the streets of the town. Upon learning that he had not, they suggested that names of their sweethearts should be adopted, and accordingly names such as those aforementioned were first applied to the streets. Eventually the names were changed to the numbered streets and avenues that are now effective. These streets in 1851 were neither graded nor paved. Less than a dozen buildings had been constructed and those included the Union Church and school building; the stores of Adlum & Irvin and Benjamin Figart; a tavern; a brick building for railroad offices that was in the process of erection; the residence of Dr. Thomas; Robison's log house and the engineer's office already referred to. Much of the present city was then heavily timbered and very swampy. Only after the trees were cut down did the swampy section become dry. Boys used the pond which became the site of the Logan House, as a swimming pool. Deer stalked through the village for years after it was founded, going to and from the nearby salt licks. In addition to the three sections, one of which was the original purchase of Mr. Wright and about which Altoona developed, the farm of John McCartney, in the northeastern part of Altoona, became known as McCartneysville, when it was laid out in city lots in 1869. Logantown was the name applied to that part of Altoona in which the lower shops of the railroad were located, and in 1868 it became part of the newly incorporated city. Hamilton's Extension, Collinsville, Millville and Juniata were other sections, all of which have become annexed to the city. Pioneers in business and trade soon found in Altoona a mecca they were seeking. Adlum & Irvin, John Loudon, Clement Jaggard, James Lowther, William McDowell, John Morrow and Joseph B. Hileman were among the early Altoona merchants. George Wayne was the first merchant in the Greensville section and in 1852, Henry A. Sellers conducted a store and post-office on the present site of 1408 Eleventh Avenue. C. B. Sink established a grocery business in 1853 or 1854. George Ferree was a partner of John Loudon and S. Yingling, and in 1856 became a member of the firm of Ferree & Morrow, but remained in the latter concern for only a year. John M. Bush became a member of the firm Bush & Morrow, but left Altoona about 1875. John A. Smith and Abram Loudon were partners in merchandising. They sold their business to Robert Ralston in 1868. Samuel Ettinger, the first clothing merchant, sold his business to Harry Tuck before 1858. The first drug stores in Altoona were those opened in 1852 by Drs. J. T. Christy and J. C. McKee, and in 1853 by George W. Kessler. William O'Donnell was the first hardware merchant, entering into business in 1853, and Magnus Bender was one of the first coal dealers. In 1866, William Murray came to Altoona from Cambria County and became one of the most progressive merchants in the city. Albert B. Westley was Altoona's first carpenter and builder, erecting his first structure in 1849. It was a house for the use of Mr. Worrall, an engineer of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and was located on Eleventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street. Richard Smith and Thomas Elway were tailors for the Altoona citizenry before 1852 and in 1858, Jacob Snyder, a ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 131 Huntingdon tailor, established a shop on Eleventh Avenue. Nick Agnew, a pioneer butcher, peddled meat in a wheelbarrow. Samuel Yingling had a slaughterhouse, in the open air under a pine-tree on the Dry Gap Road, as early as 1851. A man by the name of Weiss opened a bakery in 1854. Christian Baish and Stephen Winters served the community as tinsmiths at an early date. In 1860, Albert Heess, a native of Germany, came to Altoona and established the Altoona Steam Bakery, which became one of the most extensive and best equipped of its kind in the state. Rev. Henry Baker, of the First Lutheran Church, was the pioneer clergyman, having served the community as early as 1846. Dr. J. T. Christy, Dr. Gabriel Thomas, Dr. J. C. McKee and Dr. C. J. Hurst were early physicians. William Stokes was the first Altoona lawyer and Moses Doty was a scrivener. Joseph Adlum, Jacob Good and --- McNally were the town's earliest "squires." Howard Larcomb is said to have been the first telegraph operator, and from 1852 to 1854, Miles R. Jones was a private operator for Thomas Scott. The first brewery in Altoona is reputed to be the one established by Albert Schultz, and later known as the Union Brewery. Early taverns and hotels were the one built by George Huff on the Dry Gap Road about 1854; the Red Lion Hotel built about 1849 or 1850 and conducted by James Kearney; the Mansion House; the Exchange, built after Altoona was a thriving town, and conducted by John Bowman; the Logan House, built in 1855 by the Pennsylvania Railroad; the Altoona House and the Brant House. There were other hostelries and rooming houses, but those mentioned are the most important. The Logan House, to which the War Governors came in 1862, was a favorite meeting- place for conventions of all sorts. Important business enterprises and initial events that stand out in Altoona's history include the banking house of Bell, Johnson, Jack & Company, established in 1853. Later William M. Lloyd & Company conducted its business. The first train of cars from the east came into Altoona in 1850 and on September 17th of the same year cars were run through Duncansville. On December 10, 1850, a train crossed the mountains over the Allegheny Portage Railroad by way of the Hollidaysburg branch to Pittsburgh. Thus the complete line from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh was inaugurated. In 1854, the Mountain Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad from Altoona to the west by way of Kittanning Point, originally a single track, was completed. The first passenger station, of the Pennsylvania Railroad, in Altoona was located on Ninth Avenue between Twelfth and Thirteenth Streets. Later the building was moved to the north corner of Twelfth Street and used as a fire engine house. A post-office was established at Collinsville, now part of Altoona, as early as 1817, and continued there until 1851 when it was moved to the new town of Altoona. In 1854, the town became a borough. 1859 is an important year in the history of the city. The first water works, owned and operated by the "Altoona Gas and Water Company," a private corporation, began supplying water to the residents of the borough on December 15th. At the same time the first illuminating gas was available at the rate 132 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY of $3.00 per 1,000 feet. Less than forty years later, in 1896, the rate was $1.20 per 1,000 feet. The Good Will Fire Company, the first in the town, was organized just before the water works were completed, and on October 22nd, housed the first fire engine, a hand machine. The first planing mill, not owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad, was built, before 1860 by McCauley & Allison, on the corner of Green Avenue and Eighth Street. In 1867, the Pennsylvania Railroad bought the first steam fire engine to be used in Altoona. July 4th of the same year, the Soldiers' Monument was erected in Fairview Cemetery. In February, 1868, Altoona obtained a city charter. The next year, April 16, 1869, fire destroyed half of the square enclosed by Eleventh and Twelfth Avenues and Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets. It originated on the corner of Eleventh Avenue and Fourteenth Street, and caused a loss of between $60,000 and $70,000. During 1871 and 1872, Eleventh and Eighth Avenues were macadamized. In the latter year the borough, which had become a city in 1868, purchased the water works and provided for the construction of the first reservoir at Kittanning Point. In 1872, the first rolling mill began operations. The first Altoona Directory was issued by Thomas H. Greevy in 1873. In March, 1880, Altoona citizens had their first telephone service. On July 4th of the same year, the first street railway, carrying passengers, extended from First Street to Chestnut Avenue, to Eleventh Street, to Eleventh Avenue, up Eleventh Avenue to Bridge Street and on Seventeenth Street to Eighth Avenue, to Fourth Street. Six small cars drawn by horses and mules made up the facilities for local transportation. The first county directory was published in the same year. Before 1886, gas and gasoline lamps were used exclusively for street lighting in Altoona. Electricity was introduced for purposes of illumination, and in 1888 the streets were lighted electrically. A silk mill was built in 1888 and in 1889, beginning operations in the latter year. At the same time paving was laid on Eleventh Avenue between Eleventh and Bridge Streets, and was of asphalt blocks. Each decade, since the founding of the city, brought new facilities for the conduct of living, to the citizens of Altoona. In 1890 and 1891, the Altoona, Clearfield and Northern Railroad, formerly the Altoona and Wopsononock, was built. The Logan Valley Electric Passenger Railway was completed on July 4, 1891, and electricity put into use in street railways of Blair County for the first time. Passengers were transported to Hollidaysburg for the first time on June 14, 1893, and to Bellwood on July 1, 1894. On May 1, 1895, a paid fire department replaced the volunteer companies, and on January 6, 1896, fire destroyed the Central Hotel and other property valued at $100,000, at the corner of Eleventh Avenue and Eleventh Street. In 1896, after fifty years of the growth of the county, Altoona supported the following industries and trades in addition to the shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad: 2 iron forges, 12 planing mills, 2 chop and feed mills, 3 marble and granite works, 3 manufactories of soft drinks, 4 breweries, 3 cabinet shops, 6 ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 133 cigar factories, 4 ice cream factories, 11 merchant tailors, 40 shoemaker shops, 5 wagon shops, 11 watchmakers and jewelers, 5 harness and saddler shops, 11 bakeries, 9 printing offices; one of each of the following: rolling mill, silk mill, ice plant, brick yard, brush factory, broom factory, soap factory, washing machine factory, mattress factory, steam dye works, flouring mill, candy factory and book bindery. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854. George W. Patton was the first burgess, and the following men served on the first borough council: George R. Everson, president; Herman J. Lombaert, John L. Piper, Jacob Hesser and Thomas McCauley. P. M. McNally was the first borough clerk, Thomas McCauley the treasurer and Thomas Burchnell, supervisor and street commissioner. In the summer of 1855, under the direct legislation then practised by the Assembly of the State, the borough limits were extended to include the section known as Greensburg. The streets between the borough and Greensburg, which had not run continuously but were blocked at the old boundaries, were opened by an agreement made between the two sections. Under the borough government a pound was erected in 1854. A lock-up, the second story of which was used for council meetings, was provided in 1858, and in 1857, Fairview Cemetery was opened. In the last year of the borough government eight street lamps, consuming gas costing about $17.00 a month, were maintained. The following is a record of the incorporation of Altoona as a borough. "The Court of Quarter Sessions of the county of Blair, State of Pennsylvania, in conformity with the acts of this Commonwealth for the incorporation of boroughs by the Courts of Quarter Sessions, by and with the concurrence of the grand jury of the county, having granted on the sixth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, to the residents of Altoona a borough charter under the corporate style and title of the 'Borough of Altoona,' situated in Logan Township in the said county of Blair, and having fixed the time and place of holding the first election, and manner thereof, and appointed a judge and inspectors of such election, in virtue of which an election was held on Friday, being the tenth day of March, A. D., one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, and Herman J. Lombaert, John L. Piper, George R. Everson, Jacob Hesser and Thomas McCauley were elected Town Council of the borough, and being duly notified of their election met and organized by appointing George R. Everson, chairman, and Herman J. Lombaert, secretary. "On motion of H. J. Lombaert, P. M. McNally, J.P., was invited to be present and administer the oath of office to each member of the Town Council. The following oath was then administered: "'Before the subscriber, one of the justices of the peace in and for the said county, personally appeared Herman J. Lombaert, John L. Piper, Jacob Hesser, George R. Everson and Thomas McCauley, who being severally sworn according to law, declare that, as members of the Town Council of the borough of Altoona, they and each of them will support the Constitution of the United States and 134 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY of this State, and will with fidelity, and to the best of their ability, perform the duties of their office. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this twenty-second day of April, A. D., 1854. P. M. McNALLY, J. P."' Altoona was chartered as a city in February, 1868. George Potts served as the first mayor under the new government and was in office from 1868 to 1871. James Lowther was the first city treasurer and in 1878, when the office of recorder was established, Thomas H. Greevy was elected. The first city council was made up of the following members: W. Murray, president; D. K. Reamey, H. C. Dern, W. B. Bartley, John Delahunt, T. I. McKiernan, J. N. Glanding, A. H. Maxwell, David Robison, James Smith, Philip Fadle and John Rocket. J. T. McKinney was secretary of the council from 1868 to 1870 and D. J. Neff was solicitor at the same time. The office of civil engineer was created in 1869 and B. F. Lytle was the incumbent from 1872 to 1873. Arthur Storm and J. A. Whitmer were the first city policemen and George D. Randolph, street commissioner. Alexander McCormick, John Hickey and Thomas A. Durbin were the first aldermen. In 1880, the population of Altoona was 19,740. The organization of the first fire company with the hand engine has already been mentioned. In addition to the Good Will Fire Company, incorporated in May, 1867, the following ones were organized before the city government assumed the responsibility of providing fire protection by employing a paid force. The Empire Hook and Ladder Company, organized September 14, 1866; Excelsior Hose Company, 1869; The Vigilant Steam-Engine and Hose Company, No. 2, March 26, 1868; The Altoona Steam Fire-Engine Company, provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Under the borough government certain rights and privileges pertaining to the provision of an adequate water supply for Altoona were granted by the legislature. On March 8, 1859, the council applied to the Legislature of Pennsylvania to vest the borough rights in the matter of water in the Altoona Gas and Water Company, a joint-stock association. The name was subsequently changed to the Altoona Gas Company in 1871, and the city bought the water pipes in 1872. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company purchased the company's reservoirs at Pottsgrove, the interests in the water power at Pottsgrove Mill and in the main from the latter place to the Twelfth Street reservoir. In 1858, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company was granted the right to lay water pipes in any alleys and streets in Altoona and the council was permitted then to contract with them for surplus water. After a time the amount of water available from these sources was found to be inadequate. The city council chose Kittanning and Burgoon Runs, to be sources for the public supply. At Kittanning Point a dam was constructed, with a main running to a reservoir on Prospect Hill, which had a capacity of three million gallons. These improvements cost more than $200,000, and the supply of water was still found to be less than the demands of the growing city required. Efforts were made to supplement the supply by sinking wells, but Africa records the following in a foot-note: "The ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 135 Pennsylvania Railroad Company sank an artesian well two thousand and nine feet without finding water." In 1900, the population of Altoona was 38,973. These figures have more than doubled in the three decades that have passed since then, and it can properly be said that the greatest period of growth in the history of our city came in the Twentieth Century. The latest statistics as reported by the Chamber of Commerce give Altoona a population of 82,168 at the present time. In 1929, the borough of Juniata, with a population of 7,660 in 1920, was annexed to Altoona. Sections of Blair and Logan Townships were taken into the city in 1923 and 1928. Altoona now covers an area of 8.89 square miles and experiences an average temperature of 52.74 yearly. The population is made up of approximately 75,500 native whites, 6,350 foreign born whites, including in all, 21,218 families. These residents occupy 19,000 dwellings, 47 per cent of which are owned by the occupants. The labor drawn from this population is highly skilled, intelligent, industrious, loyal and thrifty. More than 90 per cent of those employed are native born whites. The open shop is effective in Altoona and the advantages this policy affords, attracts additional labor from nearby towns and villages in the county. The industrial depression of 1930 and 1931, that followed the inflation of prices and the changed standards of living of the war and post-war periods, has had its influence on Altoona. The usual bank and business failures that accompany every industrial depression were experienced here. Mayor McMurray's policy to bring new industries to Altoona, and find employment for the unemployed has done much to stabilize conditions. In 1930, the resources of the banks were $28,000,000, and the deposits $22,000,000. The clearings for 1929 aggregated $79,000,000. The total assets of local building and loan associations are $20,000,000. The commerce of Altoona revolves about 190 wholesale an industrial establishments and 1,756 retail establishments. The wholesale volume of trade involves $25,000,000 yearly. Altoona is the site of the principal locomotive and car shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which are the largest of their kind in the world. Other manufactures are: silk, brick, meat-packing products, motor trucks, bodies and accessories, paper products, confectionery, shirts, working garments, bakery products, cinder and concrete blocks, cut stone, cotton batting and mattresses, crushed stone, signs, mill work, foundry products, art glass and mirrors, hides and products, ice, ice cream, printing, roofing tile, furniture polish, cigarettes, lumber, dairy products, mayonnaise, relish and noddles, potato chips, drugs and medicines, sand, steel plates, tombstones, railroad supplies, radios, pretzels, bookbinding, lamps, tools, tie checks, and rail anchors. Seventy-six and four tenth per cent of these industries are working at their normal rate. The increased opportunity for employment for women has served to make this low period in business affairs, less severe in its effects upon the populace as a whole, than have former similar periods. The female labor in Altoona is intelligent and dependable. Twenty-one thousand five hundred persons are normally employed in 136 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY industries and utilities. Of these 20,100 are male and 1,400 female. Their annual payroll is $33,500,000 and the value of their products is $80,000,000 from an invested capital of $35,000,000. The residents of Altoona are supplied by electricity from the Penn Central Light and Power Company, a subsidiary of the Middle West Utilities Company. The former has its headquarters in this city, which is the center of four generating stations, with a capacity of 82,000 K. W. These stations are at Saxton, Williamsburg, Warren Ridge and Raystown, and come to a central point one mile south of Altoona where all the power is transmitted to suitable voltage for all varieties of uses. The People's Natural Gas Company owns 1,200 gas wells and gas purchase contracts, from which the needs of Altoona are served. The water supply, which was such a serious consideration fifty years ago, is municipally owned. Reservoirs at the famous Horseshoe Curve of the Pennsylvania Railroad, in the Allegheny Mountains west of Altoona, have a capacity of 2,250,000,000 gallons. Six million gallons are consumed daily. The Pennsylvania Railroad Company has its own supply of water that does not affect the city supply. In addition the Home Water Supply Company, privately owned, operates in East Altoona. This company has a well with 110,000 gallons capacity. The Bell Telephone Company serves Altoona exclusively, with district headquarters here. Parts of Indiana, Clearfield, Cambria, Centre, Mifflin, Huntingdon, Blair, Bedford, Juniata and Fulton Counties are served from the Altoona center. There are 30,875 telephones in Altoona, Bellwood, Hollidaysburg and Tyrone through which approximately 95,000 calls issue daily. The Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway Company provides passenger transportation throughout the city and county. Sixty-eight cars are operated over 55.35 miles of track and recently 18 busses have been installed to fulfill the needs of the community. The Diamond Bus Company operates between Altoona, Asheville, Patton and Hastings. The Greyhound Bus Lines provide opportunities for travel in every direction. Many of the most important state and national highways are connected with Altoona by hard surfaced roads. Chief of these is the William Penn Highway which passes through Hollidaysburg, and is rapidly being followed by business men and tourists because it avoids the many mountain climbs experienced further south, and makes easy and excellent connections between eastern cities such as New York and Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh on the west. The National Highway, the Lincoln Highway at Bedford, the National Old Trail's Highway at Cumberland, Maryland, the Horseshoe Trail and the Lakes-to-Sea Highway at Tyrone are other convenient routes. Transportation by air is receiving much support in Altoona. Stultz Field is located on Route 220, ten miles north of Altoona, and the Altoona Airport is six miles south of the city on Routes 22 and 220. The Western Union and Postal Telegraph Companies operate here too. Altoona has adopted the progressive commission form of city government made up of a mayor and four councilmen. John J. McMurray is the present mayor and W. M. C. Craine, superintendent of finance; Bence Keatley, superintendent ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 137 of streets; Samuel B. Taylor, superintendent of property; John R. Martin, city treasurer; William T. Canan, city controller; Walter J. Hamor, city clerk; W. B. Manley, city solicitor; Theodore W. Allemann, fire chief; Lemuel L. Woomer, city assessor; Thomas G. Herbert, health officer; Henry J. Baum is the city engineer; Haven S. Ale, the superintendent of water works; John W. Tillard, chief of police; J. Elvin Brumbaugh, postmaster and Paul W. Goetz, assistant postmaster. The assessed valuation of property in Altoona is $88,844,460, that is, between 60 per cent and 70 per cent of its actual value. In 1930, the city tax rate was 8 1/2 mills; school, 14 mills; state and county, 7 1/2 mills. The city has 295 miles of streets, 50 per cent of which are paved. One hundred five and four tenth miles of sanitary sewers and 3.32, miles of storm sewers provide disposal facilities and insure sanitation. A regular street cleaning and garbage collecting force are directed by the city government. Regular and careful inspections are made in the matters of sanitation, electrical work, building construction and maintenance, weights and measures, plumbing, pole erections and fire hazards. The police department is made up of 57 efficient officers. Fire protection is provided by the city with 67 paid men instead of the old volunteer system. Theodore Alleman is the present fire chief and H. Clinton Graybill, the assistant. Eight engine companies, two of which are in charge of the Pennsylvania Railroad, a hose company and a truck company make up the city equipment. In the Juniata section of Altoona there are also three companies. William E. Long is chief of the Roselawn Fire Department. Lakemont and Lakemont Terrace each have a volunteer company. The Altoona Volunteer Company, at 1306 Eleventh Avenue, supplements the city service. The Altoona Chamber of Commerce, of which H. King MacFarlane is manager, have been instrumental in bringing the advantages offered by Altoona, to the public. In 1927, an industrial survey, including a report on civic and social conditions was conducted under this organization. The service rendered to newcomers as well as to citizens of Altoona is incalculable. In the matter of civic improvement Altoona has parks covering 75 acres and 14 playgrounds under supervision. Educational facilities are provided in the public schools, employing 542 teachers in 34 buildings, Parochial Schools with 86 teachers and 9 buildings, 3 Business Colleges, Pennsylvania State College Extension School, the Altoona Art Institute, a public library and the Blair County Historical Society. The many churches in the city and the diversification of denominations, expresses the faithful devotion to religion and the individualism of the population. There are 90 churches and religious organizations in the city, with a total of 50,237 communicants. The different churches and religious organizations here are the African Methodist Episcopal, Apostolic, Baptist, Brethren, Christian Science, Church of Christ, Church of God, Church of the Brethren, Church of the Living God, Episcopal, Evangelical, Greek Catholic, Hebrew, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian, Protestant Episcopal, Reformed, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventist, United Brethren, United Presbyterian, Altoona Pentecostal Tabernacle, Altoona Rescue Mission, Brethren in Christ 138 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY Mission, Bedford Street Gospel Mission, Christian and Missionary Alliance, Fairview Union Chapel, Faith Tabernacle, Gospel Center, Faith Tabernacle Congregation, Juniata Gospel Mission, St. Barnabas Mission, St. Paul's Union Chapel and the Salvation Army. Recreation and amusement are provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's Athletic Field Stadium with a seating capacity of 32,000, a modern gymnasium and indoor swimming pool and three outdoor swimming pools. Lakemont Park, between Altoona and Hollidaysburg, is a popular amusement resort provided by the Altoona and Logan Valley Electric Railway Company. The Altoona Speedway attracts visitors from great distances to the races on its fast wood track auto speedway. Ivyside Park, with its outdoor swimming pool, is a favorite spot much frequented by the Altoona populace in the summer. The Pennsylvania Railroad Y.M.C.A., the Y.W.C.A., the K. of C., and the Y.M.H.A., all afford recreational facilities. Nine theatres and moving picture houses, seven of which are in the business district, attract the theatre-going public. The traveler finds excellent hotel accommodations in the well located, spacious and modern Penn-Alto, of which Mark Jewett is manager. Here 300 beds are available for guests. Various service clubs have their headquarters at this hotel. Other hostelries, less ostentatious, but modern and convenient, are the Colonial, with 80 rooms; the William Penn, 65 rooms; Wayne, 100 rooms; Crystal, 40 rooms, and the remodeled Lamp Post with 50 rooms. TYRONE The borough of Tyrone is situated in the southeast part of Snyder Township near the Huntingdon County line. Captain Logan, the Indian chief, and members of his tribe lived on the site of the borough near the large spring in the business section of the town. Tyrone owes much of its prosperity to the Pennsylvania Railroad, just as does Altoona, but it was primarily a center for the iron industry. John Gloninger, the Lebanon County iron master, secured much of the land in the present borough early in the Nineteenth Century and began the development of forges there. Gloninger's Company was succeeded by Lyon, Shorb & Company, and it is interesting to note that very little of the land controlled by them was devoted to agriculture. Elisha Davis did have a farm on part of Gloninger's tract in the upper part of Tyrone, and also ran a small sawmill on Sinking Run before 1826. After that the company of William M. Lyon bought the property and built a log house and large barn upon it. John Henderson, Philip Hoover and Samuel McCamant all lived there, the latter after improvements had been made to the property. Jacob Burley lived in a small cabin within the limits of the present borough and a log school building stood at the corner of Main and Allegheny Streets. The first business house in Tyrone, after the town was laid out in 1849, was that of Burley & Stewart, merchants. Jacob Burley and Rev. John D. Stewart were the members of the firm. Joshua Burley erected the Central Hotel in 1852. In 1853, Edwin L. Study, Pius Sneeringer and Samuel Berlin, on their way west from Adams County, stopped at Tyrone ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 139 and decided to remain there. These men devoted themselves to developing the community and Mr. Study became particularly prominent in connection with the Blair County Banking Company of which he was president. Berlin was a pioneer druggist and Sneeringer an active merchant. The Methodist Episcopal congregation erected a church in 1852, and in 1853, Presbyterian and United Brethren Churches were built. Tyrone became a transportation center at about the same time that Altoona was founded. The Tyrone and Clearfield Railroad was begun in 1856 by David J. Pruner, but was not completed until the Pennsylvania Railroad took over the line in 1860. This connection with Clearfield brought coal and lumber to Tyrone. In 1862, the Bellefonte Plank Road, which had been completed in 1853, was superseded by the Bald Eagle Valley Railroad, and a new division of the Pennsylvania Railroad was made with Samuel G. Black, superintendent, and D. D. Wood, train master. In 1868, the Pennsylvania Railroad established shops at Tyrone under the management of Andrew Vauclain, Sr., later of Altoona. Boiler and machine shops managed by W. H. Pawling; planing mills owned by Samuel McCamant & Company and Boyer, Guyer & Company; a steam tannery owned by D. P. Ray; limestone works and quarries of A. S. Morris; Tyrone Forges, conducted by S. C. Stewart; saw-mills, shingle-mills, a steam flouring-mill and new process steel works; the manufacture of illuminating gas by the Tyrone Gas and Water Company; the paper mill of Morrison, Bare & Cass, all combined to make Tyrone an industrial center of Pennsylvania in 1880. In 1866, William M. Lloyd conducted Tyrone's first banking house, and the Tyrone Bank was established soon afterwards with Caleb Guyer as cashier. In 1876, the Blair County Banking Company was organized with Edwin L. Study as president and General Robert A. McCoy, formerly private secretary to Governor Andrew G. Curtin, was cashier. In 1868, the property list of Tyrone records the following occupations and professions with the number of men in each. Inn-keeper, 7; laborer, 58; druggist, 2; cabinet-maker, 2; carpenter, 19; engineer, 8; tailor, 3; salesman, 2; blacksmith, 7; merchant, 23; shoemaker, 4; editor, 3; painter, 2; teacher, 3; physician, 3; minister, 5; plasterer, 2; mason, 2; butcher, 4; jeweler, 2; clerk, 4; conductor, 2; saloon-keeper, 2; tinner, 4; dentist, 3; printer, 2; fireman, 2; railroad boss, 2; and one of each of the following: politician, express agent, banker, railroad agent, saddler, baker, inspector, postmaster, farmer, railroad engineer, marble cutter, millwright, train master, wagon-maker, weaver, miller, grocer, artist, founder, section boss, train dispatcher, barber, bricklayer, billiard-saloon-keeper, cigarmaker, baggage master and brakeman. The diversification of interests and industries is apparent. The borough of Tyrone was established by order of court on July 27, 1857. The first election of borough officials was held on August 11th of the same year. Benjamin Jones was judge of elections, William Stokes and Samuel Berlin, inspectors. The officers elected were qualified on August 17th as follows: Jonathan H. Burley, burgess; Samuel Berlin, William R. Maxwell, John D. Bell, J. W. 140 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY Jones and C. Guyer, councilmen; C. Guyer, clerk; S. Berlin, treasurer; John Marks, street commissioner; Alexander Bobb, high constable. J. M. Calderwood and Samuel Jones were the first justices of the peace. The first enactments of the borough council related to such matters as fire and police protection. A lock-up was built in 1858 costing $75. In 1864, the borough issued bonds for $4,000 to raise funds, so that each man required to fill Tyrone's quota in the service of the United States would receive $100. In 1865, bonds for $2,000 more were issued to make up Tyrone's quota and make it unnecessary to resort to drafting to secure men for the service. In the same year the borough limits were extended and part of Snyder Township incorporated. Additional acquisitions of territory were made to Tyrone in 1867 and 1869. In May, 1875, the borough was divided into four wards. In 1931, Tyrone has many diversified industries; cleansing and polishing preparations, chemicals, toilet preparations, baked products, soft drinks, grist-mill products, ice cream, shoe repair shops, planing-mill products, printing, men's coats and suits, pumps and valves, caskets and undertaker's supplies, and the repair shops of the Pennsylvania Railroad employ many citizens. The Lakes-to-Sea Highway, the William Penn Highway are all accessible at Tyrone, and the Pennsylvania Railroad with its branches afford transportation facilities. The local traveler uses the Altoona & Logan Valley Electric Railway to Bellwood, Altoona and Hollidaysburg. The schedules of this company are rigidly maintained and the service is prompt and frequent. The Tyrone Gas & Water Company still maintains their branches of the public utilities, employing 11 persons. The population of Tyrone in 1910 was 7,776; in 1920, 9,084, and is at present 9,042. The borough officials of Tyrone are Raymond A. Hagerman, burgess; Joseph Harclerode, secretary of the borough council; F. K. Luckenbach, treasurer; Richard H. Gilbert, solicitor; Lloyd O. Michaels, chief of police. BELLWOOD Bellwood, or Bell's Mills as it was originally known, is named for its pioneer resident Edward Bell. This town became prosperous because of the mills in it and nearby. The Bell's Gap Railroad was built before 188o to connect the Pennsylvania Railroad with the coal deposits in the mountains. Rhododendron Park became the resort for pleasure seekers and the railroad was used almost as much by travelers who enjoyed the mountain scenery as for coal transportation. In 1880, there were about 500 people in the town. The Pennsylvania Railroad shops at Altoona are only a few miles to the south, and many of the residents of Bellwood are employed there. At present, baked products, ice, printing, iron castings, machine tools and repair shops, and the Blair Gap Water Supply Company employ persons locally. Water is supplied to the inhabitants of the borough by the Bellwood Borough Water Plant. The population of Bellwood in 1920 was 2,620. The industrial depression that has affected the country generally seems to have left its mark on Bellwood. The census of 1930 found 2,560 residents there. The present borough officials are, George E. Fuoss, burgess; ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 141 Frank Miller, secretary; James W. Lowther, treasurer; George M. Meyers, solicitor; D. K. Dillman, engineer; E. D. James, chief of police. DUNCANSVILLE Duncansville is located on the Pennsylvania Railroad just southwest of Hollidaysburg. In 1920, it had a population of 1,230 and at present supports 1,379 persons, most of whom rely on Altoona industries for employment. The Gildea Bus Company affords excellent transportation facilities to Hollidaysburg, Newry and Roaring Spring. Duncansville is so accessible to the Gaysport section of Hollidaysburg that it seems very much like a suburb. Limestone is the basis for a leading local industry. The Duncansville Borough Water Works provides the needs of the community. The present borough officials are, J. K. Shoenfelt, burgess; W. P. Koon, secretary; B. F. Warfel, solicitor; David Berkheimer, chief of police; Irvin W. Focht, treasurer. HOLLIDAYSBURG Hollidaysburg, the county seat, has been referred to in earlier chapters. Its founding, Sherman Day's description of it in 1840, and the town in the heyday of the Pennsylvania Canal and Allegheny Portage Railroad, have been discussed. For a long time Frankstown led Hollidaysburg in development. The advent of the canal and the railroad changed that. Then, twenty years after Hollidaysburg became the center for transportation in Blair County, Altoona was founded. Since then Hollidaysburg has been content to remain the county seat, the home of Highland Hall to which young women come for college preparation from all sections of Pennsylvania and nearby states, and the home of central offices of some of the leading county industries. At present it is preeminently a residential town, with an excellent hotel and first-class restaurants. The William Penn Highway skirts Altoona, and crosses the county through Yellow Springs, Canoe Creek and Frankstown to Hollidaysburg, which is the largest town that it passes through in Blair County. The Greyhound Bus Lines make Hollidaysburg one of their rest stops en route to Harrisburg and Pittsburgh. On September 13, 1836, the first borough officers were elected as follows: Dr. James Coffey, burgess; Joseph Reed, John Walker, William McFarland, D. Mitchell and S. F. Henry, councilmen; Simon Brotherline, constable. J. Penn Jones, of the Hollidaysburg "Register and Enquirer," described the town in 1842 as follows: "Hollidaysburg is a great place! It is great in a great many respects - one of the greatest perhaps in the interior of the great State of Pennsylvania! It is great as a business place; it is a great place for fun, and great for sobriety and order; great for pretty girls, and good ones, too; . . . .great for its liberality and enterprise; great for its rapid increase in population, wealth and improvement; great for its muddy streets in wet weather; great for its dusty ones in dry; its a great place for Washingtonians and Teatotallers; great for industrious men and thinking mechanics, and a great place for sleighing when 142 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY the ground is frozen! It's a good place to sell saddles of venison, and flour for buckwheat cakes, potatoes, chickens, ice cream (in summer), and patent medicines all the year round! But the greatest thing of all, is, it's a great place for taking newspapers - greater in this respect, than any other town of the same population in the world. 'But enough said' about our town's greatness for the present. Not many years ago it was little better than a wilderness. In 1830, it did not contain more than fifteen or twenty houses, and a population of 150 or 200. Where Gaysport stands there was no sign of a town! Swamps and thickets, in which rabbits burrowed and black birds built their nests, were then where now are houses, gardens, streets, alleys and work-shops." In 1924, Gaysport Borough which was separated from Hollidaysburg on the east by the Juniata River, was annexed to the county seat. Gaysport had a population of 997 in 1920. At present Hollidaysburg is the center for gristmill products, ice, planing-mill products, printing, silk and silk goods, boilers, tanks, stacks, machinery and parts, clay products, crushed stone and ganister products. The borough supplies the citizens with water. In 1930, the population of Hollidaysburg was 5,969. The following borough officers are the present incumbents: Harry G. King, burgess; Robert P. Smith, secretary; J. Calvin Lang, Jr., solicitor; Harry McIntosh, treasurer; Francis C. Walsh, engineer; W. M. Carbin, chief of police. MARTINSBURG Martinsburg, in Morrison's Cove about twelve miles southeast of Hollidaysburg, was settled by Conrad Martin, a farmer from Washington County, Maryland. The town was laid out about 1815. Rich farming lands and ore mines in the vicinity made it a prosperous center. A branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad connects it with Altoona. It was incorporated as a borough in 1832, but the records of the earliest officers were not kept, so that the first ones available are those for the year 1847, just after Blair County was organized. The officers for that year were: Jacob McIntyre, burgess; Burdine Blake, Jacob Graffius, John Getty, David Kissinger, Joseph Shaffer and John W. Mateer, councilmen; Henry Shoemaker and John Beck, school directors. Juniata Collegiate Institute, once known as the Franklin High School and Blair County Normal Institute, was chartered in 1859. Thus Martinsburg was an educational center of the county at an early date. A more detailed account of this institution will be found under the history of education. At present the industries that employ the residents locally are: patent and proprietary medicines, flour-milling, planing-mill products and crushed stone. The Borough Water Plant supplies water for local use. The present population of Martinsburg is 1,295 and the borough officers are: C. Guy Barley, burgess; J. H. Kensinger, secretary; John Haberstroh, solicitor; Frank Hunter, engineer; L. H. Holsinger, treasurer; D. K. Wierman, chief of police. ALTOONA AND THE BOROUGHS 143 NEWRY Newry, said to be the oldest town in the county, if one does not consider the trading center at Frankstown, was laid out by the surveyor, Patrick Cassidy about 1793. The population of Newry has always been small but the residents are nevertheless industrious and made this little Irish named settlement the center for the manufacture of hats, cabinet and shoe-making. Before 1818, the highway through Newry was the most traveled across the Alleghenies. The building of the turnpike through Blair's Gap in 1818 and 1819 diverted travel and the selection of Hollidaysburg as the terminus for the canal and railroad drew attention away from Newry. Gallitzin, the celebrated leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Pennsylvania, was instrumental in developing the parish at Newry. This little center was one of his stations for 16 years, and in 1816, the settlers built a stone church. At present the parochial school at Newry educates children from the borough and from nearby towns. The population of Newry was 397 in 1920 and at present is 394. The borough officials serving now are: N. J. Conrad, burgess; I. S. Miller, secretary; G. W. Weaver, treasurer; John Moses, chief of police. ROARING SPRING Roaring Spring, known as Spang's Mills Post-Office in 1854, was part of Taylor Township until June 27, 1888, when it was incorporated as a borough. The first borough council was made up of E. G. Bobb, burgess; D. M. Bare, president of council; J. M. Hite, W. J. Galbraith, D. M. Bare, H. C. Lorenz, D. M. Butler and H. G. Hair, councilmen; David Stern, secretary. The Dunkard miller, Jacob Neff, who defended himself against the Indians in the Revolutionary War, had the first mill located here. The exact site is not known. The development of this borough is due to a great extent to the efforts of Daniel Bare and his son D. M. Bare, who purchased the land upon which the town now stands from Job Mann, of Bedford, in 1863. They saw at once the splendid possibilities for future development of industries at this point because of the remarkable water power available at the spring. As a result, the Bare Milling Company, a planing mill, the D. M. Bare Paper Company and the Roaring Spring Blank Book Company have grown up in Roaring Spring. The latter plant is the third largest of its kind in the world and with the manufacture of paper, forms one of the basic industries of Blair County. In October, 1915, a Chamber of Commerce was organized with the slogan, "For a Greater Roaring Spring." This organization was particularly effective in raising government Liberty and Victory Loans during the World War. Its other accomplishments include the gates at the Main Street grade crossing, the overhead bridge and right-of-way through McKee for the State Highway, and the monument to soldiers of the World War that is located in the public park. The park is more than three acres of timber once part of the "Sugar Grove" tract. D. M. Bare donated it to the School Board of Roaring Spring for recrea- 144 BLAIR COUNTY HISTORY tional purposes in 1918. A landscape gardner was employed, and the walks, drives, tennis court and playgrounds were laid out. In 1907, the Eldon Inn, without bar for the sale of liquor, was built by D. M. Bare, E. G. Bobb, Dr. A. L. Garver and Dr. William Eldon. This excellent hotel has entertained visitors from many distances, many of whom were delightfully surprised by the high standard of the entertainment offered. The Roaring Spring Board of Health was organized on August 11, 1893. The efforts of this organization have done much to curb the development of serious epidemics and accordingly Roaring Spring has attained the reputation of being a center of good health. The Nason Hospital was opened in 1896 by Dr. W. Albert Nason, as a private institution. Since then new buildings have been added and the equipment of the plant as a whole modernized. The work of this medical center will be discussed more fully elsewhere. Roaring Spring today has a population of 2,794. The present borough officers are: Leo A. Garber, burgess; John R. Bassler, secretary; R. D. Lorenz, solicitor; John E. Stern, treasurer; Bayard Long, engineer; Emory Beegle, chief of police. WILLIAMSBURG Williamsburg was at one time called Akestown in honor of the pioneer settler, Jacob Ake, who laid out the town about 1794. Before he died the town's name was changed to Williamsburg to honor the oldest son of the founder. Jacob Ake was of German descent and was a powerful character in the community. He recognized the need of public education at an early period and at his own expense equipped a school for the children of his town. Williamsburg is better known to modern Pennsylvanians as the birthplace of Charles Schwab, the great steel magnate. The town was on the route of the Pennsylvania Canal and thrived by the transportation facilities afforded early in the Nineteenth Century. The railroad era has taken most of the prosperity formerly experienced in Williamsburg to its neighbor Tyrone. Nevertheless the excellent water power in the vicinity has attracted mills and today the town supports flour, paper and silk mills, besides two limestone companies and a plant of the Penn Central Light and Power Company. The present population of Williamsburg is 1,898 and the borough officers are: W. E. VonDreau, burgess; Calvin Fluke, secretary; George G. Patterson, solicitor; E. T. Clark, engineer; Miss M. M. Spencer, treasurer; John F. Traxtler, chief of police.